Sunday, July 31, 2011

"Ipiutak Inuit prehistoric end blade insert for a walrus ivory fore-shaft. It was typical of advanced Inuit hunters to have replaceable fore-shafts that could be inserted into an arrow-shaft in the event of breakage. I have only one that was ground of nephrite jade from the Kotzebue region, but it is regrettable that it no longer is in my collection. With my future return expeditions to this region in some future I still yet may replace it, meanwhile, there are many more 'out there' that are available for diligent search. Imagine, the amount of seasons in history whereby these Inuit and their ancestors have hunted regularly utilizing these blades on a daily basis and then to imagine how many of these blades had been used for say...thousands of years!" "As far as I can tell, these stone artifacts will last for untold thousands of years with little evidence of wear and erosion."